An organization may have files that it desires to protect from unauthorized use. For example, an organization's sensitive and proprietary information may include, but is not limited to, financial reports, product specifications, customer data, and confidential e-mail messages.
Data leak protection is a preventative process for securing data to avoid potential data breach incidents. An aspect of data leak protection is determining how data is to be generated, amended, enhanced, stored or transmitted to avoid potential data breach incidents. Further, determining how data is to be generated, amended, enhanced, stored or transmitted can be based on data classification. Data classification is a process of assigning a security category or level of sensitivity to data as it is being generated, amended, enhanced, stored or transmitted. An organization may have implemented a data security policy and procedures that require all files to be classified in compliance with an organization's corporate, regulatory, and statutory requirements for confidentiality. The classification of the data can then determine the extent to which the data should be processed, controlled or secured and may also be indicative of its value in terms of being a business asset.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.